The Kenan Center for Turkish Cultural Studies brought the deep cultural memory of Turkish music to international academic and artistic audiences through “Resonances of the Oud in Turkish Music” at Harvard University. Featured by İhlas News Agency, the article highlighted Prof. Dr. Bilen Işıktaş’s oud performance, the ney, kemençe, and vocal contributions, and the strong interest Turkish makam music received at Harvard.
Human Motifs and Social Life in Classical Turkish Poetry explores how divan poetry preserves urban life, everyday habits, shared spaces, human relationships, and social memory, revealing classical Turkish poetry as both an aesthetic tradition and a living cultural archive.
23 April Special Program: Flowers of Hope explores the musical, educational, and cultural significance of children’s voices through the album Umut Çiçekleri, highlighting children’s choirs, cultural memory, Turkish music education, and the festive spirit of April 23.
A Life Dedicated to Turkish Culture: Samiha Ayverdi explores the literary elegance, civilizational vision, spiritual refinement, and enduring cultural legacy of Samiha Ayverdi within Turkish intellectual and cultural life.
Old Ramadans in Istanbul’s Mansion Life: Reviving the Night of Destiny explores the spiritual atmosphere of Laylat al-Qadr in old Istanbul mansion culture, highlighting memory, etiquette, hospitality, urban refinement, and the continuity of Ramadan traditions.
Ramadan Music: Temjid, Munajat, Enderun Tarawih explores the devotional soundscape of Ramadan through temcid, munacat, and Enderun tarawih, highlighting their historical development, spiritual meaning, performance practice, and place within Turkish musical and cultural heritage.
Ramadan Hymns explores the devotional, literary, and musical tradition of Ramadan ilâhîs, highlighting their role in tarâwîḥ prayer, their place in mosque and tekke culture, and their enduring significance within Turkish religious music and Ramadan cultural memory.
Mehmet Akif and Our National Anthem is a comprehensive content piece exploring Mehmet Akif Ersoy’s intellectual legacy, the writing process of the Turkish National Anthem, the spirit of the War of Independence, and the anthem’s enduring place in national memory.
A Historical and Cultural Heritage: Our Mehter Tradition is a comprehensive work that examines the historical origins, musical structure, ceremonial function, and contemporary cultural relevance of the mehter (Ottoman military band), evaluating the Ottoman mehter tradition from a cultural heritage perspective.
The Climate That Unites Us: Discover the shared spirit of Ramadan in different geographies with Şehr-i Ramazan on the East-West Bridge. Şehr-i Ramazan offers comprehensive reflections on iftar, tarawih prayers, unity, culture, and the spiritual climate.
"From the Crescent Moon to Eid, From Suhoor to Tarawih" is a comprehensive content that examines the sound memory of Ramadan, from suhoor to tarawih, within the framework of the suhoor drum, mukabele (recitation of the Quran), iftar cannon, hymns, and Turkish religious music tradition.
The Kenan Center for Turkish Cultural Studies invites you to its monthly series bringing poetry and music together.
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